On the night that Liu Cheng presented the poem to Fan Ning, the latter confessed his worries to the General Liu of the Vanguard Army.
And the former did not expect that a poem he copied temporarily in order to shock those warriors and appease Fan Ning would have this additional effect... After knowing it, he was naturally a little moved. If such a model disciple bumps into his subordinates, he will bump into him. Where can you find it?
Then, he also admitted that he really had no specific way to solve this problem.
We can only take one step at a time.
This is not a defeatist mentality, on the contrary, in Liu Acheng's own opinion, it is a high-spirited mentality... He has not yet finished the kindness to Huan Wen and Xi Chao, so he has to complete every project in front of him and accumulate more political capital for himself, so he has to work hard to climb up and strive for a higher position, so that he can better repay their kindness.
Just like Liu Rengong, the kindness was not over yet, but who owes it to whom now?
Once you climb up, you can return it naturally.
Does Xie An's kindness still exist now? As for what he did in Shouchun, does it count as extending Xie Shang's life? Is he stabilizing Western Command for the Xie Family?
If you have to say that the monster of power Huan Wen is a special case and you can't get past it, then there is an explanation.
He can still stand up to the old man.
Relax and exercise more. This life is not over yet and there will be another life. If you die, I will repay your son. If I die, let my family A An repay your grandson.
What a big deal!
So, things come back to the same sentence, Northern Expedition is first!
For the country, the family, and the individual, we must Northern Expedition! Northern Expedition can break through the shackles of family background and make contributions, Northern Expedition can fight to save the common people, Northern Expedition can control power, and Northern Expedition can reverse the current abnormal (biological term) North and South political environment.
Northern Expedition is everything.
It's just that Northern Expedition needs to work hard.
The heat of June was still hot, and Liu Cheng indeed kept its promise and did not add any extra workload to its staff and General Who Pacifies the West’s Office staff. They only went to Feikou in the middle of the month to watch the last discount in the massively expanded boat series competition. Returned to the competition of the Huai River, and under the introduction of Huan Yi, he formally summoned his theoretical classmates Ding Xing, Ding Zhun, and Ding Kuang and his nephew from Ding Clan of Qiao Commandery.
Huan Yi had a very in-depth exchange with the Ding Clan. Of course, Ding Clan is able to stabilize in Qiao Commandery because of its uniqueness. The core idea is that anyone can come, and there is no problem in recruiting, but they will never leave Qiao Commandery with their soldiers. The south cannot cross the Huaihe River, and the north cannot cross the Sui.
The conditions are the same this time. They are willing to contribute, including three uncles and nephews. The elder Ding Xing will work as Chief Registrar to help collect taxes and maintain public order; the middle-aged Ding Zhun will help control the important Guo River inside Qiao Commandery., ensure the smoothness and stability of this key channel; the descendants of the most prestigious person in the clan who died in the Later Zhao collapse, which is equivalent to Ding Kuang who has reserved the position of clan leader in advance, will do Army Provisioning Officer for Liu Cheng.
However, their house still does not cross the Huaihe River to the south, the Sui River to the north, and does not cross the Wo River river basin that the family is most familiar with.
Liu Cheng thought over and over again and decided to accept this condition because he now needs the strength of this family.
"Let's put it another way." Huai River, Liu Cheng, really bargained with the other party seriously. "Do you think this is okay? I will mobilize Northern Expedition's troops soon after autumn. I promise not to let you go to the front line to serve as soldiers, but at least you must help me maintain transportation and good logistics. If I go Wo River, in fact, It's a bit far and not safe. I want to take Sha River, which is also in Qiao Commandery, so that I can go directly to Northern Yuzhou prefecture Chen Commandery Chen County... And you promise to maintain the transportation route from Sha River Mouth to Chen Commandery for me."
The three of them looked at each other, but Ding Xing raised his hands and said, "Former Army, please let the three of us discuss it for a while, and we will definitely reply to the former Army today."
Liu Cheng didn't blame them, he just pointed at the Huai River region ships and said, "They've finished the competition. I'm going to reward them personally. You can either come before or afterward to give me some words."
Ding Xing can only respond.
And sure enough, before the game was over, the three of them came back again, bowed together, and said they were willing to serve the former army.
This is of course, Sha River is basically parallel to the Wo River, which should be the later route of north Fei River, but these days the two rivers are close to each other at their entrances to Huai River, so that the two rivers are very close to each other in Lower Reaches, which is not a big difference for Qiao Commandery locals.
However, the Sha River river, which is obviously contrary to common sense, is probably the Central Plains-Huai River region channel that was artificially constructed during the Wei and Jin period to go south. It should have cut off a tributary of the Ying River and led it to the Wo River. However, due to hydrological conditions, it opened an entrance to the Huaihe River on its own.
However, the goal is still achieved, because it successfully connects Upper Reaches, Central Plains, and Chen County to Huai River region.
In fact, the previous name of this Sha River was simply called "Canal River", but because of forced changes in hydrology, the sand content was too much, and it was renamed after the unification of Great Jin. People call it Sha River. And right in the middle of the other side where it enters Huaikou and where Wo River enters Huaikou, there is also a ferry city that has only gradually emerged in the past few decades, called Matou City.
Hey, it's the Horsehead that is one of the hypotheses about the origin of the name Zhou Horsehead.
In other words, Liu Cheng is not making trouble out of nothing, forcing the Ding family to take a step back, but Sha River is indeed the core channel to Central Plains, not to mention that is now in charge The one at Chen Commandery is Zhu Teng, the father of Zhu Xian, Zhu Bin, and Zhu Chuo, the one known as Lord Longhuai.
Liu Cheng Northern Expedition, there is no reason not to go this way.
And if Ding Clan of Qiao Commandery doesn't agree to this request, then it's a bit pretentious. But on the other hand, once you agree, it's a good thing and you're a family.
Ever since, the two parties formally reached a cooperation, Ding Kuang followed Liu Cheng back to Huainan, and Ding Zhun got A batch of ships donated by Liu Cheng that originally belonged to Western Command were directly received by the latter and brought into the Sha River from Lower Reaches Sha River Mouth.
That's right, it's been half a year since I came to Huai River region. Liu Cheng now has a stronger purpose in everything he does, which is for Northern Expedition.
In this way, after resting for six months, enduring the Autumn Harvest, and the daily transfer of Hanshan Road, the balance of military resources was far better than before. With the resumption of various military "Willow-Shooting" competitions, Liu Cheng officially began to gather craftsmen from various departments, concentrated in the south of the city, and established a large Military Weapons workshop across the river from Great Granary on the other side of the Fei River, and began to renovate, maintain, and replenish the Military Weapons for the relevant troops.
At the same time, troops were also recruited from Shao Lake to replenish the last 10% or 20% of the personnel for the relevant troops, and allocate accompanying soldiers and civilians according to the classic two-to-one ratio from Shen Jin.
Which specific troops are involved?
Of course, it's the three people of Liu Huzi, and the two people of Gao Heng.
Someone came to ask Liu Cheng, and Liu Cheng's reply did not exceed their expectations. If anyone is willing to go to Luoyang with him, if he signs up now, he will receive the same treatment immediately if he signs it.
At first, no one was willing to join. The big defeat that year was really unforgettable.
But soon, as Guo Man's Banner and the Ding Zhun people in the north who were nominally affiliated with Gao Heng also received a certain amount of supplies, the army became a little anxious.
They inquired and found out clearly that the people in Guo Man and Ding Zhun were doing hard logistics work, that is, escorting grain and grass and responding in case of defeat. One was on the water and the other on the land. They were not considered regular troops at all.
This feeling of anxiety entered a new stage with Zhu Xian's initiative - Zhu Xian was willing to bring a thousand people with him. The reason couldn't be simpler. His father was at Chen County! The fact that he didn't say anything before must have been due to the routine calculations between the father and son brothers.
In fact, even if it was just to help his father, he still had to use General Liu of the Vanguard Army's supplies.
This is a real force of one thousand soldiers. Regardless of whether they are for their father or for something else, Liu Cheng immediately gave them fair treatment. Replacement personnel, repairmen Military Weapons, and additional support workers, including Eleven-Part Compensation System, who have already started to implement it, also came together.
Then, at the end of July, Liu Cheng made a further request to Xie Shang. He hoped that each ministry could collect some cavalry for him to save his life. He was willing to give money, whether it was the share of the generals of each ministry, Banner Chief, or the settlement expenses of these cavalry, he could do it according to the rules.
Including if they come back alive, these cavalry will also return the same way.
This method sounds new, but unexpectedly there are no obstacles, because it is also a kind of practice. The imperial court has always lacked war horses and excellent riders in the south. Even Huan Wen's cavalry must be gathered for Huan Qian's use. Now everyone is not going, only Liu Cheng is going, and they must be allowed to protect themselves.
Not to mention, these four hundred cavalry can be brought together more easily than a whole group of people.
After the four hundred cavalry were in place, no one knew any high-level cavalry tactics. They were probably just bodyguards, so they did not do any additional reorganization. They were only divided into groups according to their sources, with Ding Kuang, Zhang Zhong, and Xie Xuan and Zhu Chuo led Liu Cheng's one hundred and eighty riders, Huai River Region Cavalrymen, as the liaison officer, and then conducted several joint training sessions similar to remote training, that's all.
So far, Liu Cheng already has twelve buildings of soldiers, namely four buildings of Shen Jin, three buildings of Liu Jian, two buildings of Gao Heng, two buildings of Zhu Xian, as well as a temporary mixed cavalry building responsible for protecting the headquarters, totaling 5,900 people, almost full, and equipped with about 3,000 accompanying soldiers and civilians.
In addition, there are two buildings of troops and horses responsible for the rear route, one is Guo Man, which goes by land; the other is Ding Zhun, which controls Sha River. They are responsible for supervising logistics and supporting the front army in case of emergency.
According to the usual practice, it is already an army of ten thousand people. In fact, the number of soldiers who can reach the front line including his bodyguards is 6,000. It is enough to serve as a partial division.
However, in mid-August, as Liu Cheng officially asked Xie Shang for Yuan Hong and other General Who Pacifies the West’s Office subordinates Joining the Army went north, General Xie An After confirmed that the grain in the warehouse was sufficient, he ordered Wang Xia to also separate two groups of people to accompany Liu Cheng and Yuan Hong Deng Ren as Central Army's protection.
In name, it was to protect Liu Cheng, Xie Xuan and Yuan Hong, but in fact, Xie Shang was taken out of Western Command and finally Central Army, and went into battle again.
There is nothing much to say, just replenish people, replenish equipment, and try to share rewards as much as possible.
And at the end of August, A She appeared on Hanshan Road along with the first batch of five million Shenlang Coins minted. Now, there is nothing to say.
In September, with the help of this money, Liu Cheng generously rewarded the soldiers who went out with him this time, with a bolt of silk and five hundred coins per person. The soldiers' accompanying soldiers and civilian husbands were rewarded with three hundred coins. Eleven Sealed-Storehouse Relief Payments also provided three months of personal compensation for all the soldiers and their accompanying soldiers and civilian husbands.
At the same time, we also tried our best to distribute rewards to the General Who Pacifies the West’s Office family members, General of the Vanguard Army’s Office family members, Department Clerks from the two counties, and those outstanding craftsmen who had worked hard for the past six months.
I know it's not easy to take money and silk with you. If you have a family, tell us where you want it, and we will send it home for you along the lines of Hanshan Road. If you don't have a family, you are allowed to store it in the sealed warehouse in the warehouse, but you can't leave!
Ready to go at any time.
The handwriting on the newly minted money was still a bit blurry, but it was indeed thick and strong, no less than the normal Five-Zhu Coins. Five million new coins were suddenly thrown out. Naturally, the military knew that this was privately minted, and immediately gave it a name, calling it " Lulang Coins", and immediately circulated in the area of Shouchun, which was short of money, including along the Huai River and Huai River tributaries.
And because of the stimulation of so much money, many low-level Banner Chiefs like Guo Man were tempted, so much so that three Banner Chiefs actually found Liu Cheng and expressed their willingness to go north to fight.
But was rejected by Liu Cheng.
At this point, it is unnecessary to add more people, not to mention their combat power and whether they can be trusted. The establishment is too bloated. With my own physique, I don't know if I have the ability to command properly. Seven thousand people is quite good.
And in mid-September, Liu Cheng received a formal military order from Huan Wen, asking him to send five thousand troops to offset Right Wing and assist Luoyang in the attack to avoid possible cold winter operations.
On the day of the order, Liu Cheng formally presented to Department of State Affairs, explaining what he had done in Western Command in the past eight months, listed the number of troops he sent this time, and took advantage of the situation to explain that he had to secretly cast copper materials as rewards for military supplies, and then "requested to send troops Northern Expedition".
On the list, without waiting for any reply, on September 21st, he took the Chief Clerk Fan Ning seal and formally swore in Huainan Administrator. On the same day, he personally led the two shogunate officials to cross the river first, leaving behind only who had just arrived. A She was at Shouchun. Immediately, Western Command, about seven thousand people, left Sha River Mouth Assembly, followed the river upstream, and went straight to the Central Plains hub Chen Commandery Chen County.
------I went straight to the dividing line of Chen County------
Yonghe 12, Ding Si in September, took over and trained the remnants of Western Command, and obtained seven thousand soldiers Northern Advance, who became Right Wing's partial division of General Who Attacks the West's second Northern Expedition, and began to take charge of the troops.
--- "Chronicle of Wei and Jin".Sun Sheng
PS: Thank you to Mr. Lu Suo, the gold gunsmith, for connecting with San Meng! Sanyang Kaitai! Thank you very much!